Eco-Friendly Sports Equipment
Sustainable sports equipment is rare and those that exist can be a very tricky sell. We love sports in our house, and are very picky about the equipment we use, as I’m sure most current and former athletes are. Plus, when you’re on a team, you don’t have much, if any, choice about what equipment and uniforms you get.
However, there are some ways to be sustainable in this arena (pun intended).
Reduce waste by purchasing eco-friendly gear
Again, options here are few and far between. I have found a couple interesting options online.
- EcoSports – This company makes balls out of vegan leather, and their products are biodegradable, recyclable, non-toxic, chemical free (BPA, Lead, & Phthalates Free).
- Waboba – Their sports balls are made from jute and natural leather. To be honest, jute is pretty coarse and I’m curious how these would fare on your hands, so someone needs to try them out and report back.
Another way to look at being more sustainable when choosing sports gear is to buy quality made items. Spending a few extra dollars to purchase a well-made product is a worthwhile investment. This and taking care of your gear increases the likelihood that it will last longer and thus not need to be replaced as frequently.
For eco-friendly workout clothes, head over to sustainable clothing to learn about how to pick eco-friendly gear.
Reuse sports gear
Borrowing, renting, or buying used gear is a way to extend the life of items. It will save you money and prevent you from buying things you may not actually use for long, especially when it comes to kids and how quickly they grow out of everything.
Find local sports consignment store or online marketplace for lightly-used items gear and equipment. When you are done with equipment, don’t let it collect dust in your garage or closet. Give away or donate, sell, or trade it back in. Play It Again Sports is a great option.
Recycling sports gear
Not a lot of sports-related items can be recycled when they are too worn to be used. However, anything composed of metal can be taken to a scrap metal recycler; unusable uniforms and other types of clothing can be recycled with other textiles.
The only types of balls I can find that can be recycled are tennis balls and pickleballs.
- Recycle Balls recycles tennis balls, but you need to accumulate at least 100 balls to get a “free” shipping label (with a minimum $5 donation). Check with a local tennis club; mine collects balls for recycling.
- Submit a request to P3 Pickleball to send a bin to collect cracked and damaged pickleballs for recycling.
Notes on specific sports gear
Golf
Golf Balls
Golf balls are not recyclable. Some are labeled as eco-friendly or biodegradable but whether that is actually true, I don’t know. Plus, I know purists like my husbands will only play with a certain brand of balls, so there’s that.
Golf Clubs
Sell or donate unwanted golf clubs. If clubs are unusable, they can be sold for scrap metal.
Skateboards
There are multiple artists that make pretty cool furniture and other items from recycled skate decks. I contacted a couple I found online and you can send them any old decks you might have instead of throwing them away.
Winter Sports
- If you only ski rarely, consider renting a ski jacket or pants, along with the rest of the gear.
- Find a ski swap in your area to trade in old gear or find deals on used items. Ski shops often sell used gear as well.
Non-toxic exercise equipment
Exercise/Stability Ball
Most exercise balls are made from vinyl, or PVC, which often contains toxic chemicals, in addition to being is really difficult for consumers to recycle. EcoWise makes exercise balls with burst-resistance TPR (Thermo Plastic Rubber) material, which is free of latex, PVC and phthalates.
PVC-free yoga mats
Like exercise balls, nearly all yoga and exercise mats are made from foam that contains polyvinyl chloride (PVC), the most dangerous type of plastic for our health. Lead is often added as a stabilizer, and PVC also often contains other harmful chemicals like phthalates and bisphenol-A (BPA). We are exposed to these chemicals by eating and drinking things that have come into contact with these plastics, and we can also breathe in particles in the air.
PVC is also known to emit or leach VOCs and dangerous toxins throughout its entire lifecycle, most notably lead, mercury, cadmium, dioxins (a chemical in Agent Orange), and vinyl chloride (a carcinogen).
Another reason PVC should be avoided because it is very difficult to recycle.
Hugger Mugger is the place to go for eco-friendly yoga products. They offer several mats constructed from non-toxic, biodegradable materials.
- The Para Rubber Yoga Mat ($99.95) is made entirely from natural rubber latex and is available in an XL size ($138.95). Available at Nordstrom and Amazon.
- YDL Cork Yoga Mat ($69) is made with a 100% natural rubber base layer topped with a renewable, sustainable cork top layer.
Find other eco-friendly and non-toxic yoga accessories at Hugger Mugger, such as yoga blocks made from cork, wood, or bamboo, or cushions made from 100% organic kapok.
Jade Yoga mats are made in the USA from all-natural rubber, and the company plants a tree for every mat sold. The Jade Harmony Yoga Mat ($91.95) is their bestselling mat, but they also have several additional great options, including their Cork Mat with a rubber base ($99.95) and the Organic Cotton Mysore Yoga Rug ($89) is handwoven and dyed with all-natural vegetable dyes; this is a great latex-free option for those with latex allergies.
The Harmony mat is available at Amazon, Dick’s, and Target; the organic cotton rug can be found at Amazon and Target.
The Brentwood Home Organic Non-Slip Yoga Mat is a high-quality, eco-friendly option I can personally recommend. It is certified 100% vegan and made from GOTS-certified organic cotton with an FSC-certified natural latex non-slip base for excellent grip. It is a wonderful sustainable choice, though it does comes at a higher price point at $143. Brentwood also offers certified vegan yoga cushions.
Also available from Avocado, where you can find non-toxic organic yoga pillows and bolsters.
Check out this list of 50 ways to reuse your yoga mat.
Foam Roller
Try an Oceanfoam foam roller, composed of a bloom algae, harvested from areas of overgrowth, and recycled EVA foam.
Home Gym Equipment
Donate, sell, or if broken/unusable, take to a scrap metal recycler or utilize a junk removal service that will recycle what they can, such as Junk King.